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The plan will guide all development in Plymouth, South Hams and West Devon until 2034 once it is approved by the Government planning inspectors, reports the Plymouth Herald.

The three councils involved – Plymouth, South Hams and West Devon – say they will “resist proposals to provide new hot food takeaways within a 400 metre radius of providers of secondary education to protect the school's food environment”.

Steve Simms, representing KFC, said his client accepted that obesity was a problem, but that the joint local plan wasn’t the right way to deal with it.

He said a link between obesity and the number of hot food takeaways had been shown.

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But calculations showed that even London would have no hot food takeaways at all if they were banned within 400 metres of secondary schools.

Mr Simms said exercise was more important than diet, and that children should be given the option to walk.

He said the policy ignored whether the school has a locked gates policy, a healthy eating policy or a canteen offering wholesome and affordable food. It also ignored whether the hot food takeaway would be open at times when pupils are in the area.

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Plymouth planner Richard Grant told the hearing, under planning inspector Yvonne Wright, said the policy would not solve the whole problem of obesity but was part of a suite of measures, working with partners such as Public Health England.